Up to 200 people were arrested in Zimbabwe yesterday as a
general strikeentered its second day, with police saying the opposition
Movement forDemocratic Change had set off bombs at supermarkets.

A
police spokesman said the strike, called by the MDC, had "turnedsinister".
He said home-made bombs exploded at two supermarkets in Kadoma,about 60
miles south-west of Harare. "We have also recovered severalunexploded
devices."

The strike has crippled Zimbabwe - with most shops and banks
closedyesterday - and the MDC said it was "just the beginning of a
sustainedprogramme of resistance" against the rule of President Robert
Mugabe.

The MDC called on him to release political prisoners, repeal
repressivesecurity and media legislation, distribute food in a non-partisan
way, andrestore the rule of law.

It said Mr Mugabe and his officials
were now "nervous" and would soon begin"packing their
bags".

After a
two-day anti-government strike, Zimbabwe's Movement for DemocraticChange
yesterday vowed to escalate "mass action" to force President
Mugabe'sgovernment to reform or leave office.The national strike was the
biggest protest for more than two years againstRobert Mugabe's 23-year rule,
shuttng factories, shops, banks and otherbusinesses in protest at alleged
human rights abuses and the economicdecline.

More than 400 opposition
figures, including a member of parliament, werearrested over the two days,
said civic groups. Police would not confirm thenumber of arrests, but said
that "mysterious explosions" near the city ofKadoma had damaged a
supermarket, three shops, a bar and a bridge."Thirty-three people were
arrested in Kadoma, including Austin Mupandawana,the MDC member of
parliament," the police said.

Re-invigorated by the strike, the
opposition MDC issued the Mugabegovernment with a list of 15 demands to
restore democratic rights by March31 or face "popular mass action to regain
the people's liberties, freedomsand dignity".

Critics accuse Mr
Mugabe's regime of human rights abuses, rigging hisre-election, and causing
mass hunger by seizing the white minority's farms.Two-thirds of Zimbabwe's
12 million people are threatened with starvation,according to government
figures.

"Over the past two days the people of Zimbabwe in their millions
bravelydemonstrated that they are no longer willing to live under tyranny
andpoverty," said Paul Themba Nyathi, an MDC spokesman. "The violence,
thetorture, murder and all other brutalities can no longer stop the
people'sdesire to be free."

Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC president, now
standing trial for treason,thanked the people for backing the call for a
strike: "You have demonstrated beyond any doubt to the regime that we, the
people of Zimbabwe, haveno fear and will take concrete steps to reclaim our
power.

"This regime is nervous. Their bags are now packed as they realise
who hasthe power. We have to prepare for the final push and they will run
... Weshould prepare for the final onslaught for a people's
victory."

Brian Raftopoulos, chairman of the Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition, said civicgroups fully supported the demand for the Mugabe
government to step down.

The Commonwealth, meanwhile, has extended
Zimbabwe's year-long suspensionuntil December when the 54-nation group meets
in Nigeria. The suspension,due to have expired yesterday, highlights Mr
Mugabe's failure to split theCommonwealth on race
lines.

Fidelis Mapisa of Harare shows how he was
assaulted and had his truck's windscreen smashed by unknown youths for
carrying people to work during a mass protest against the government.
Photo: AFP

A mass work stoppage called for by Zimbabwe's opposition to protest over
President Robert Mugabe's government entered its second day yesterday, with the
majority of businesses remaining shut, especially in the capital Harare.

Large supermarkets and department stores also remained closed, as did most
commercial banks.

Industrial sites were at a virtual standstill and most transport companies
grounded their fleets following the burning and stoning of several buses on
Tuesday, when the two-day strike called for by the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) began.

Many Zimbabweans heeded the MDC's call to stay away from work on Tuesday,
making the first day of the strike the opposition's most widely followed protest
action against Mugabe's government for years.

The MDC had called for peaceful mass "action for national survival" to
protest Zimbabwe's deepening socio-political and economic crisis, which has
forced the majority of Zimbabweans into abject poverty.");document.write("

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"When people lose their dignity through despair, injustice, hunger and
oppression, they have to resort to desperate measures to survive," the party
said.

Dozens of opposition supporters, including two lawmakers, were arrested
across the southern African country on Tuesday for various offences ranging from
barricading roads to burning cars.

State media on Tuesday reported that a minibus carrying kindergarten children
was burnt in Chitungwiza, a town 25 kilometres south-east of the capital. The
children escaped unhurt.

A group calling itself "Zvakwana Sokwanele" - which means "Enough" in the
local vernacular - said two buses were "badly damaged" early this morning.

The group also announced in an email message yesterday that there would be
demonstrations across the country, but did not give details.

Mugabe's government has linked the mass work stoppage to the extension of
Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth.

"The planned opposition mass action has been calculated to coincide with
today's Commonwealth report on Zimbabwe's suspension from the councils of the
54-member grouping and America's push to have Zimbabwe condemned for alleged
human rights abuses," the state-run Herald newspaper said on Tuesday.

Pro-government commentators have blamed former colonial power Britain for
being behind the mass protests, in a bid to increase hardships for
Zimbabweans.

RIDING on the success of its
two-day mass action, the opposition MDCyesterday issued an ultimatum to the
government - restore the rule of law by31 March or face civil
unrest.

Paul Themba Nyathi, the
MDC spokesperson, listed 15 demands thegovernment must meet without fail -
or all hell would break loose. The MDC'sdemands include: the immediate
release of all political prisoners, includingthose arrested for exercising
their constitutional right to demonstrateagainst violence, torture and
misrule; and the government's agreement to aprogramme clearly designed to
restore the legitimacy of government and anend to all State-sponsored
violence against the people, including thetorture of suspects in police
custody.

But the government immediately
dismissed the demands as Nyathi's"admiration" of United States President
George W Bush, who this week issuedan ultimatum to Iraq's President Saddam
Hussein, to leave his country within48 hours or face war. The Iraqi leader
is reported to have rejected
theultimatum.

Reacting to the MDC
demands, Nathan Shamuyarira, the ruling Zanu PF'sspokesperson, said: "I'll
respond only when I have the demands on my desk. I'll have to read them and
then come up with a detailed response, but onlyafter I have seen the
demands."

George Charamba, President
Mugabe's spokesperson, scoffed at the MDC'sdemands and ultimatum. He laughed
and then said: "I don't care whether theyare 50 or 100 demands. Tell Paul
Nyathi to be reasonable in his admirationof George W Bush. Obviously he is
inspired by Bush's ultimatum to SaddamHussein, except that Bush is the
president of a powerful country whileNyathi is a spokesman of a
disintegrating political party. That's
all."

The other demands from the MDC are
for the government to restore allthe political and civil liberties of the
people, including the freedoms ofassembly, association, expression and
movement and, in particular, therepeal of the draconian Public Order and
Security Act and the Access toInformation and Protection of Privacy
Act.

The MDC demanded the depoliticisation
of relief food aid; disbandmentof the militia groups and restoration of war
veterans to a non-politicalrole; an end to the persecution of workers, women
and youths; and thereversion of the police, army and prison service to a
professional andnon-partisan role.

Nyathi said the government must stop the political persecution
ofprofessional soldiers, the police, prison officers, judges, church
leadersand interference with the freedom of worship; restore law and order;
repealthe Broadcasting Act and free the airwaves; restore the academic
freedom andautonomy of the University of Zimbabwe; and halt the ongoing
State-sponsoredelectoral violence and
fraud.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC
president, said yesterday his party wouldfight to restore law and order. He
said: "This action has demonstratedbeyond any doubt to the regime that we,
the people of Zimbabwe, have no fearand will take concrete steps to reclaim
our power. The regime is nownervous. Their bags are packed as they realise
who has the power. We have toprepare for the final push and they will
run."

The MDC's last demand is for the
government to stop the persecution ofcivil society and to respect the human
rights of all Zimbabweans.

The residents said
suspicious activities were going on at severalhouses in Hatfield and Bluff
Hill where Zesa employees were heavily involvedin the systematic thefts of
copper and aluminium wires.

Two women in
Bluff Hill said they wanted Zesa authorities toinvestigate activities at a
house in Faber Road in the suburb from which, atleast three times a week,
30-tonne trucks drove out of the premises withstolen cables. One of them
said: "In the afternoon, not much happens at thepremises but during the
night we fail to sleep due to noise emanating fromthere. "We have seen four
or five men busy cutting and bending the wiresinto small sizes for packaging
into some boxes."

According to sources at
the Zesa head office, identified men at housesin Hatfield were receiving
stolen transformers from Zesa officials whichthey exported or sold to
private companies in the country. Sources said aDatsun 1800 vehicle and a
red Toyota Hilux, usually without registrationnumbers were used to ferry the
stolen cables. The latest revelations bringto six the number of houses where
there are reportedly suspicious activitiesinvolving copper
cables.

Stephen Pieron, the Zesa area
manager for Harare said Zesa was fullyaware of the activities at the houses
mentioned but it was proving "verydifficult" to put a stop to the systematic
cable thefts. He said they haveregular arrests of people involved but the
penalties were too lenient to bea deterrent. "We work together with the gold
section in the police," hesaid. "We have been monitoring the activities at
the suspected houses. Mostof the houses are well- known to Zesa and the
police." Pieron said due to rampant cable
thefts, the government last yearbanned the export of copper after realising
that 100 percent of it wasstolen. He said the stolen copper was being sold
in South Africa andMozambique where the perpetrators earned scarce foreign
currency.

Pieron said from Zesa's
viewpoint, the suspects were being protectedby unidentified police officers.
He said at one point they arrested twoHatfield suspects but within days they
were released. However, Zesa cablesworth millions of dollars were
recovered.

A fortnight ago, a Zesa
employee driving a T35 vehicle from theprojects department went to a house
in Hatfield to drop four cable drums ofcopper wire. Employees at Zesa said
the cables were moved from Ardbennieunder the pretext that they were to be
used in the Rural ElectrificationProgramme.

MAXWELL Manyanhaire, a Harare
magistrate, allegedly solicited for a$50 000 bribe from a defendant in
return for a light sentence.

Manyanhaire yesterday appeared before fellow magistrate MishrodGuvamombe,
facing charges of corruption. Prosecutor Elizabeth Mwatse, of theAttorney
General's Office, said some time last week Manyanhaire presidedover Norman
Mudzinganyama's case of assault with intent to cause grievousbodily harm.
Mudzinganyama pleaded guilty. Manyanhaire, however, did notsentence him, but
remanded him out of custody to 19 March on $5 000 bail forsentence, the
court heard.

It is alleged that on 17
March, Manyanhaire phoned Mudzinganyamaduring working hours and told him he
wanted about $50 000 from him so hecould give him a favourable sentence. On
Tuesday this week, Mudzinganyamareported the matter to the Criminal
Investigation Department Headquartersand a trap was set. Mudzinganyama then
met Manyanhaire at CABS Harare Streetbranch that same day where he gave him
$10 000, it is alleged.

Manyanhaire was
later arrested by the police who found him inpossession of the money which
had been marked. By accepting the bribe, theState said, Manyanhaire abused
his position as a public officer. Guvamomberemanded him out of custody to 7
April on $10 000 bail.

The whereabouts of the Associated
Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ)Corporate Affairs Director, Gugulethu Moyo, and
Daily News photographer,Philimon Bulawayo, were unknown last night following
their arrest on Tuesdaymorning. They were last seen yesterday afternoon at
the Harare CentralPolice
Station.

Moyo and Bulawayo who
were assaulted at Glen View Police Station, weredenied medical treatment on
Tuesday. Last night the two could not be locatedas lawyer Kay Ncube made
frantic efforts to secure their release. Moyo wasarrested at Glen View
Police Station when she tried to have Bulawayoreleased after his arrest
while covering the mass action in
Budiriro.

The two were severely assaulted
by Jocelyn Chiwenga, the wife of armycommander, Lieutenant-General
Constantine Chiwenga, and Kelvin Chadenyika,at the police station. Sources
yesterday said Chadenyika is a messenger atZimsafe (Private) Limited, a
company owned by Jocelyn.

The ANZ lawyer
and the photographer were later moved to Harare CentralPolice Station. Ncube
yesterday made frantic but fruitless efforts to havethe two released or
taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital for
treatment.

He said last night: "We are
likely to have the matter heard beforeJustice George Smith as an urgent
matter. We can't locate Moyo and Bulawayoand we can't tell whether they were
eventually taken for medical treatment."

Earlier in the day, Moyo, speaking from the cells on her mobile saidMrs
Chiwenga had "visited" them in the morning: "She wanted to check whetherwe
are still here for sure. It seems we will not be going anywhere. "We arein
great pain because we have not been taken to a hospital for treatment."It
seems the circumstances under which we were arrested are not clear tothe
police and they want to investigate that. But the police must
firstinvestigate before they arrest
people."

The two-day mass action called
by the opposition MDC went full intothrottle yesterday as businesses
nationwide heeded the calls for a completeshutdown to protest against the
worsening economic situation and abuse ofhuman
rights.

The army was on high alert
as police tankers, equipped with water andtear-gas cannons, were on standby
in Harare. The deployment of the soldierswas in apparent response to the
violence that occurred in Harare onTuesday - the first day of the mass
action.

Two water and tear-gas cannons
were spotted parked at SouthertonPolice Station when a Daily News crew drove
past the station. Businesseswhich had remained open in Gweru, Mutare and
Kwekwe on the first day of thestayaway, closed yesterday as workers did not
report for duty.

In Mutare most business
came to a halt, but State security agentsforced some to open. The police
later arrested Giles Mutsekwa, the MP forMutare North (MDC) and shadow
minister for defence. Mutsekwa said the policerefused to disclose the
charges against him.

Meanwhile, most
industries and retail outlets in the major cities andtowns did not open for
business yesterday. In Bulawayo, heavily armedsoldiers patrolled the streets
of Luveve, Gwabalanda and Pumula, creating anintimidating atmosphere in the
high-density suburbs. Schools closed earlyafter students and teachers failed
to turn up as commuter omnibus operatorsparked their vehicles. The
atmosphere in Harare's city centre resembled thatof a Sunday afternoon as
most shops were closed. Most banks, including thoseowned by individuals
known to be sympathetic to the government, were closedas
well.

At Glen View 1 and Glen View 2 high
schools pupils were sent homeafter lessons were disrupted by groups of
unidentified people urging them tojoin the mass action. Industries in Msasa,
Willowvale and Graniteside wereshut. The police in Kadoma yesterday refused
to comment on the whereaboutsof Austin Mupandawana, the MP for Kadoma
Central, and about 100 MDC youthsarrested on Tuesday morning. Business was
at a standstill in the town.

The
industrial areas in Kadoma, Gweru and Kwekwe were virtuallydeserted. In
Masvingo, the situation was the same as in other major towns.Shaky Matake,
the MDC deputy provincial chairman in Masvingo, and 20 partyyouths were
arrested yesterday on charges that could not be immediatelyestablished. "I
am at the police station," Matake said on his cellphone. "Ihave been
arrested together with other party members, but the message isclear: Mugabe
must go!"

Silas Mangono, the MP for
Masvingo Central (MDC), arrested on Tuesday,but freed the same day without
charge, was re-arrested yesterday forallegedly ordering the continuation of
the mass action.

THE National Constitutional
Assembly (NCA) says the violence thatrocked Harare at the weekend exposed
the open bias of the police against theMDC in favour of Zanu
PF.

The NCA said the police openly
supported Zanu PF supporters indisrupting MDC rallies in Kuwadzana and
Highfield where the party'scandidates in the 29-30 March by-elections were
campaigning.

Douglas Mwonzora, the NCA
spokesperson, said the violence in the twoconstituencies following the
inter-party clashes, were clear acts of voterintimidation ahead of the
by-elections. He said the police and Zanu PFmilitias joined forces in
disrupting the MDC rally in Kuwadzana. Mwonzorasaid: "It is disturbing to
note that the police could sink so low tomanifest their partisanship by
opening fire on unarmed MDC supporters whowere attending the rally, before
charging at them with batons and guns atthe ready."The use of
State-sanctioned violence where perpetrators of theviolence did so with
impunity, to tilt the electoral playing field, hasremained a Zanu PF
strategy since the 2000 general elections and the 2002presidential
elections."

The NCA urged the residents of
Kuwadzana and Highfield to turn out intheir thousands to vote in the
by-elections, despite the violence andintimidation. The Kuwadzana seat fell
vacant following the death of formerMDC spokesperson, Learnmore Jongwe, in a
prison cell at Harare RemandPrison. The Highfield seat is up for grabs after
the expulsion of the formerMP Munyaradzi Gwisai from the
MDC.

THE United Nations has been asked
to intervene in solving students'problems in
Zimbabwe.

In a strongly-worded
petition, the Zimbabwe National Students' Union(Zinasu) told UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, they were concerned at themanner in which the
government was handling students'
problems.

Zinasu said it had tried to
engage the government in dialogue but hadfailed. "We wrote petitions,
boycotted classes and demonstrated in demand ofeducation, but there is no
improvement," said Zinasu. "This freewill andcomplete disregard of our right
to education and other chartered rights hasmade us to declare the government
of Zimbabwe as anti-people."

The students'
union said it was concerned at the government'spriorities which made
education "play second fiddle" to other sectors. "Wecannot continue
suffering when the children of the ruling elite are gettingquality education
in Europe," it said. "We cannot rest our brains when thegovernment buys
bullets, guns, tear-gas and armoured cars to choke us, wheneducation and
health services have been grounded.

"Secretary-General, we write to you with peace, justice anddevelopment.
However, because it is more painful to see evil every day thanit is to face
bullets in pursuit of liberation, we will not sit and watchour future
perish. "We seek your assistance, as time is not on our
side."

The petition, copied to the
Southern African Development Communitysecretary-general, the International
Union of Students and the Parliament ofZimbabwe, said the government must
address the issue of lowly-paid lecturersand make education affordable to
the poor. Zinasu complained about last week's indefinite closure of the
University of Zimbabwe, after the governmentfailed to resolve a strike by
lecturers over a 50 percent retentionallowance.

Hundreds of people displaced
by the heavy floods in Masvingo provinceare starving as the government has
not provided them with food and otherbasic
necessities.

Over 200 people face
serious food shortages and have appealed to thegovernment for assistance.
Nobert Musunga, one of the victims, said: "Wehave not received any help from
the government. "We are really starvingsince most of our food and crops were
washed away by the floods. We areappealing to the government to help
us."

A government official said: "It is
difficult to assist the familiesbecause the floods were not declared a
national disaster. If they had beendeclared a national disaster government
funding could have been provided."

The
Civil Protection Unit, the government arm which deals withdisasters, has not
been able to assist the victims of the CycloneJaphet-induced floods. Only
the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has helped themwith food. Dzikamai Mavhaire,
the Red Cross Society provincial chairman inMasvingo, said although his
organisation was providing assistance to theaffected families, other
stakeholders still needed to come in and
help.

Mavhaire said: "We are giving the
families basics such as food,blankets and shelter but we believe our efforts
should be complemented byother organisations and even the government." James
Murapa, the MasvingoCivil Protection Unit co-ordinator could not be reached
for commentyesterday.

DICKENS and Madson, the Canadian
political consultancy headed by AriBen-Menashe, obstructed investigations by
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police(RCMP) into the alleged criminal conspiracy
by MDC leaders to assassinatePresident Mugabe, the defence said
yesterday.

Advocate Chris
Andersen, cross-examining Tara Thomas, a State witness,said the company
obstructed the course of justice when it did not providethe Mounties with an
audio-tape and transcript of the second meeting held inLondon between its
representatives and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai inNovember 2001. They
withheld the evidence because the alleged scheme toassassinate Mugabe was a
set-up, Andersen said.

Andersen said:
"That the evidence was withheld would be very strange.It would be tantamount
to obstruction of justice meant to prevent theCanadian police from
investigating a criminal conspiracy to murder thathappened in their
jurisdiction. "That obstruction would have beendeliberate, showing that
there was a scam, a fraudulent exercise orentrapment of the MDC
members."

Tsvangirai, his party's
secretary-general Welshman Ncube, and shadowminister for agriculture Renson
Gasela, are accused of plotting Mugabe'sassassination and the ouster of his
government in November and
December2001.

Thomas, a personal
assistant to political lobbyist Ben-Menashe,objected to the use of the words
scam and entrapment, saying: "I don'tbelieve you can trap anyone to say
those things." To this Andersen retortedthat they failed to get Tsvangirai
to say explicitly what they wanted
himto.

The RCMP investigated
allegations of the plot reportedly hatchedduring a meeting at Dickens and
Madson's headquarters in Montreal on 4December 2001, which was screened on a
programme on Australian television on13 February 2002. The trial continues
today.

That Jocelyn, the wife of
the army commander, Lieutenant-GeneralConstantine Chiwenga, would stoop so
low as to join the police in brutallyassaulting a lawyer is not only
reprehensible, but must raise questionsabout her status in President
Mugabe's government: is her role as undefinedas that of the Green
Bombers?

It is to be wondered if
she stopped to think of the consequences ofher actions and what impact they
would have on her husband. Or perhaps, likethe Green Bombers, she is now so
prone to unleashing violence on innocentcitizens, such thoughts hardly cross
her mind.

Her latest violent escapade
involves joining the police in Glen Viewto savagely attack Gugulethu Moyo,
the Corporate Affairs Director ofAssociated Newspapers of Zimbabwe,
publishers of The Daily News. Moyo hadgone to the police station to secure
the release of the newspaper'sphotographer, Philimon Bulawayo, arrested
while going about his legitimatejob as a Press photographer, covering the
mass action called by the MDC, themain opposition party. Bulawayo, too, did
not escape the wrath of Chiwengaand Kelvin Chadenyika, the former assistant
coach of Darryn T Football Club.

As far as
the police and Zanu PF zealots are concerned, the massaction called for by
the MDC is illegal and any journalist covering theevent to let the world
know how successful or unsuccessful it has beenshould be dealt with in the
most brutal and savage manner possible. As faras the ruling Zanu PF and the
State media are concerned, the mass action was
a major flop and any media organisationdepicting a contrary view should be
crushed with all the might and force atthe State's disposal. And now the
army commander's wife, known for herintemperate streaks, joins the
fray.

Mrs Chiwenga has benefited - and
continues to benefit - from thepolitical status quo and would like to see it
continue. She will use anymeans necessary to protect and defend the
Establishment - and what betterway of doing so than by beating up two
innocent citizens, one of them alawyer who posed no threat whatsoever to
Jocelyn herself nor to the securityof this country. Mrs Chiwenga has
benefited from the Zanu PF gravy train asshe is alleged to have seized a
farm, Chakoma Estates, in Goromonzi in Aprillast
year.

She reportedly grabbed the farm from
Roger Staunton, a director ofShepherd Hill Farm (Pvt) Ltd, which operates
the estate, worth over $1billion. She took over produce on the farm valued
at $125 million and soldit to Sainsbury's supermarkets in the United
Kingdom, clearly reaping whereshe did not sow. The chaotic, violent land
reform has benefited other ZanuPF adherents in this same manner and like
them, Jocelyn Chiwenga wouldalways defend the government and Zanu
PF. She is reported to have seized the farm in
the company of men armedwith AK-47 rifles and, in the process, allegedly
warned Staunton that shehad not "tasted white blood since 1980 and missed
the experience", accordingto documents lodged in
court.

It is, incidentally, this same
Jocelyn Chiwenga who quite often spokeon behalf of an obscure organisation
called Heritage Zimbabwe. Theirstatements frequently attacked any
organisation or even any newspapercritical of Zanu PF and the
government.

Zanu PF may be past caring
about its reputation both here and abroad.But if it allows people like
Jocelyn Chiwenga to hurl even more filth onthat tattered reputation, by
behaving like a Green Bomber in public, itcould lose more than just its
reputation.

Many perceive this nation's
present predicament as purely political.They watch as racial, cultural,
historical and agrarian ingredients areangrily tossed into that political
cauldron.

From the steam and
stench of this boiling concoction, the spectres ofMDC and Zanu PF rise. But
any religious onlooker will look behind thevisible and physical faces of the
combatants and detect that we are in thecentre of a spiritual
battle.

Most religions believe in an enemy
who opposes God. TheChristian/Judaeo "Satan"; the Muslim reads in the Quran
of "Shaytan"; theBuddhist in "Mara" and so on. Sadly, this belief is
dismissed asinconsequential. We are duped into a caricature of the person of
Satan. Wejoke about "old Nick" or snigger at illustrations of a cheeky
little impwith a long tail and horns.

Every person can empathise with the Apostle Paul in his experience
ofconflict in his life: "I don't do the good I want to do, instead I do
theevil that I do not want to do." But we need more than experiential
knowledgeabout the person and strategy of Satan. Christians believe that God
hascommunicated with mankind in revelation - the innerant, inspired Word
ofGod.

Thus, I, as a Christian, base
my beliefs about Satan and his demonicarmy on both experience and, more
importantly, on the Scriptures. Some ofthose beliefs follow. He was
originally created by God, a perfect model,beautiful to look at, full of
wisdom. He then coveted equality with God,proudly believing himself God's
equal. As a result, God cast him out ofheaven with millions of angels who
had sided with him. These angels (a thirdof the heavenly host) we now refer
to as Demons.He now operates in theuniverse with a system that opposes God
and goodness. He is a murderer andthe father of
lies.

Of all his evil strategies -
discrediting God, getting people to rebelagainst God, skewing the truth,
etc, etc - I want, for the purpose of thisarticle, to concentrate on just
one aspect as it relates to Zimbabwe. JesusHimself acknowledged that Satan
was the "ruler of this world", the cosmos.As such, Satan and his demons
influence the election of leaders and theirbehaviour. Thus, every citizen,
Christians included, lives in a nationcontrolled by leaders selected and
appointed by demonic forces.

Is it any
surprise that these forces would oppose any semblance of lawand order? So,
it's a struggle, and in that struggle we must be aware of theprotection we
need and the offensive actions we must take. Paul says itperfectly: "Put on
the full armour of God so that you can take your standagainst the devil's
schemes. For we struggle not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of thisdark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms."

When Jesus was being tempted by
Satan, Satan "showed Him in a secondall the kingdoms of the world. 'I will
give you all this power and wealth,'he said, 'it has all been handed over to
me, and I can give it to anyone
Ichoose'."

Here then is the
Christian's dilemma (and anyone of whatever faith whois instructed to pray
for leaders): How does one pray for leaders when weare aware that they are
likely in positions of leadership courtesy of Satan?What sort of
determination and urgency are we prepared to make to do
so?

Let me hasten to state here that I do
not denigrate my country incomparison with others. There are no "Christian"
governments, not in theUnited States of America, not in Britain, not in
South Africa and not inZimbabwe. Any government that legislates actions and
behaviour contrary todivine commandments indicates it is living
independently of and opposed toGod.

When Daniel prayed, his prayer was immediately heard and an angel
wasdispatched to attend to it. Yet it took 21 days for the angel to arrive.
Thereason was not due to a sight-seeing detour. The angel was prevented in
hisadvance by "the Prince of Persia". (This is understood to be a
powerfuldemon whose responsibility was to oversee that region.) After that
conflict.the angel had to proceed to combat the "Prince of Greece". That
angel had tocall for assistance from the Archangel Michael - such was the
resistancefrom these "principalities and
powers".

So, we who believe in the
effectiveness of prayer are called to pray"for Kings and those in
authority". But you say: "I can't honestly pray withany sincerity for
leaders for whom I have no respect and possibly even hate.I have prayed, yet
I have not seen an end to any of the demonic activities.This nation is
drenched in evil from the father of lies."

We have witnessed those evil deeds: theft, fraud, assault, rape,murder, and
ancestral worship. But if we stopped praying, imagine how widethe gates of
hell would swing open to unleash the bile it
contains.

"So let us not become tired of
doing good: for if we do not give up,the time will come when we will reap
the harvest."

THE Ministry of Industry
and International Trade has increased themaximum volume of fuel importable
by individuals from 200 to 500 litres
amotorist.

In a statement
released on Monday on behalf of the ministry, GeshemPasi, the Zimbabwe
Revenue Authority Commissioner-General said motoristsaged 16 years and above
would be allowed through a government dispensation,to import up to 500
litres of fuel, for personal use. Importations forresale would however not
be permissible.

Pasi said: "It is a
condition for granting this dispensation that thebeneficiary enters the
country with the fuel in his/her vehicle and observesall safety
regulations." The dispensation would not
affect the payment of duty in cases ofexcesses on allowable duty free
imports.

Importations of quantities in
excess of the stipulated volume wouldhave to be covered by an import licence
issued by the ministry. The facilitywould however not extend to passengers
of any motor vehicle, bus, train oraircraft, a measure seemingly designed to
eliminate fuel-related fireaccidents. Yesterday's dispensation followed an
announcement made two weeksago by Herbert Murerwa, the Minister of Finance
and Economic Development,that the limit for individual fuel imports had been
raised 10-fold, from 20litres to 200 litres. That was part of the New
Economic Revival Programme.

Murerwa said
the upward revisions on limits were made "in light of thedifficulties faced
by cross-border travellers." Although this latest movecould slightly ease
fuel problems in border towns, economists and motoristshave however
dismissed the upward revision of volumes as a desperatemeasure. They said
the government had to be more innovative and pragmatic inaddressing the fuel
supply situation.

Economist John Robertson
said: "It is important to consider the numberof individuals with the sort of
vehicles that can carry 500 litres of fuel.Questions about the number of
individuals with sufficient foreign currency,or the sort of containers
necessary for such imports are also relevant." Hesaid the move was unlikely
to effect any improvements on the fuel situation.Peter Rukodzi, a Harare
motorist commended the government for doingsomething about the fuel problem.
He however went on to say the revision ofmaximum individual import volumes
to 500 litres still fell short of apanacea to the
problem.

"We appreciate the efforts being
made, but the government shouldrealise that not all motorists can cross the
border for fuel. The few whocan, face the risk of fire as the product is
highly flammable."